Depression and Addiction Treatment at A New Start

When a person is suffering from depression and also addiction this is referred to as Dual Diagnosis. Dual Diagnosis is when a patient suffers from both a mental illness and a problematic substance abuse/addiction condition.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 10% of Americans suffer from depression, also known as depressive disorder. Everyone can fall on hard times, be it dealing with loss, financial woes, relationship struggles, and just everyday life. Moods often fluctuate and change during times of struggle, but most people are able to pull themselves out of that slump, or just wake up one day and can move on from the negativity. This is not the case for those who suffer from depression.

How Do You Know if it is Really Depression?

There is a difference between having moments of sadness, anger, and frustration in life and having clinical depression. To have clinical depression, the symptoms must last for a minimum of two weeks and this would be interfering with one’s ability to work, maintain relationships, or function in society.

Signs of Depression:

Feelings of hopelessness

Anxiety

Loss of appetite/weight loss

Oversleeping

Restlessness

Loss of energy

Feelings of guilt

Irritability

Difficulty focusing on daily tasks

Loss of interest in hobbies or activities

Suicidal thoughts or attempts

Crying constantly

Isolating one’s self

Ignoring family or friends

**Those who suffer from five or more of these signs daily may struggle with depression.
Unlike clinical depression, when you are in a bad mood for days at a time, usually this is caused in direct relation to a tragic life event. Examples of such events would be a death of a loved one, loss of a job, or a relationship ending. Clinical depression is when even after the crisis is past or resolved those basic day-to-day tasks seem impossible and the mood stays gloomy.

Addiction’s Role:

When people are depressed, it is common to turn to other things to fill the void that is in their lives. Drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, and so many other things are often used to fill that emptiness that one may be experiencing from the depressive disorder. When people are feeling down it is often encouraged to “let loose” or “have a couple drinks” because “you’ll forget about it”.The problem is that those who suffer from clinical depression never get better. So they continue to fill the void in their life with substances. If this turns into a daily occurrence, chances are an addiction will be formed.

Recovery from Depressive Disorder and Addiction

For many people who struggle with depression and substance abuse, quitting drugs or alcohol can actually make the depression worse. If feelings have been buried for a prolonged amount of time from drug use or alcohol when these emotions surface it can cause the mood to be significantly worse. It is common for those who struggle with addiction and depression to leave rehabilitation centers early, or before the end of their treatment because both issues aren’t addressed at the same time. In order for one to be successful in recovery with a depressive disorder, the patient must be receiving the right amount of therapeutic support, and be treated as a dual diagnosis

A New Start’s Treatment Plan

A New Start, Inc. provides dual diagnosis treatment and therapy for all their patients. Upon entering into treatment on day one, the patient will be placed into a dual diagnosis treatment plan. A depressive disorder and addiction treatment plan comes with intense therapy sessions including individual and group settings, education on both the depressive disorder and disease of addiction, family support groups, relapse prevention and so much more.

Dual diagnosis treatment has a high level of complexity and with the right amount of patience and understanding therapists and staff at A New Start have successfully developed a care plan that covers all aspects of the depressive disorder and addiction recovery.

The goals of A New Start’s dual diagnosis recovery plan is to help patients learn about their depressive disorder. We also want them to understand that recovery is possible. We motivate our patients to make those positive changes in their life in order to be a productive member of society. Support is the last main goal of A New Start, Inc. We want all of our patients to feel supported through their recovery journey, if patients are encouraged and motivated it gives patients the strength and support to keep battling forward.

We offer an assortment of dual diagnosis treatment programs that are created to help patients achieve sobriety and overcome their co-occurring disorders concurrently. To contact A New Start, Inc. now, call us at (844) TALK-ANS, we are here for you anytime of day.